


I'd love to see me from your point of view (cause nobody ever loved me like you do)

by lostinthesounds



Category: Julie and The Phantoms (TV)
Genre: Comfort, F/M, Fluff, GASP, I love writing these, a 5+1 fic, a sequel to “the hardest thing of all is that we were always built to fall”, and I lowkey missed this fic, did y’all see this coming, julie is a supportive girlfriend, julie loves luke, literally all fluff, luke is a simp, luke loves julie, social media au with pictures!, surprise?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-15
Updated: 2020-11-15
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:00:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27439966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostinthesounds/pseuds/lostinthesounds
Summary: Luke doesn’t talk about Julie on social media, he likes to keep some things private now that the band is getting bigger and how happy he’s become with their relationship over the past year. However, sometimes he can’t help it, and he has to let the world know how lucky he is to have her.sequel to 'the hardest thing is that we were always built to fall'
Relationships: Julie Molina/Luke Patterson
Comments: 16
Kudos: 191





	I'd love to see me from your point of view (cause nobody ever loved me like you do)

**Author's Note:**

> I can't lie, I've been thinking about writing a sequel to this story ever since I published it a few weeks ago. I wanted to thank everyone that showed me love on the original, and I hope this can be a satisfying ending for those who wanted a second part. I hope you enjoy, feel free to leave kudos and comments and whatever way you wanna show love. It's greatly appreciated! 
> 
> find me @/juliesmelody on twitter for more content, and I love getting reactions on there so feel free to do so! This sequel is dedicated to my lovely friends; Essie, Lai, Jordan, Taylor and Manu and anyone who wanted this! I love you so muchh x. stay safe everyone, be kind and wear your mask!

****

**1.**

Luke holds his breath when Julie kisses him goodbye at the cafe, her hand sneaking into the front pocket of his sweatshirt to tug him closer and he only pulls back when he hears the sound of crinkling plastic.   
  


He sighs, the day was already a blissful blur in his head and he didn’t remember taking anything with him when he got up from the booth with Julie.   
  


“Are you trying to frame me for stealing from your family’s cafe?” Luke’s hand cups her cheek, stroking her face. It was much later into the day, the sun setting and she seemed to glow under his touch. Julie scoffed, and then began to smile. “Your aunt likes me, I can’t ruin that.”   
  


She beams up at him, shaking her head and tugging him forward. “It’s just a few cookies for the guys that I packed when you were talking to my aunt. You’ve been here the whole day, it’s the least I could do for keeping you away from them.”   
  


His heart was about to burst and they had only been dating for ten hours.   
  


“They don’t miss me.” Luke tells her softly and looks her in the eyes, hazel meeting brown, and he feels like he had already grown so attached to her. After spending the morning holding hands and cheek kisses, and a piano session where they spent some time just holding each other and singing, he knew Julie would change his life. She would change _him_ forever. “They miss you more, Jules.”   
  


It had been a while since the band spent the night at the Orpheum, and as much as Luke wanted to keep her to himself, he knew his best friends would love her if they got to know her like he has.   
  


“I know I’m nice,” Julie teased, then grew a little serious taking her hands out of his sweatshirt and resting them on his shoulders. “But they’re your brothers, and I know it’s like your only day off in forever.”   
  


“I just got you back today. I was more than glad to spend my day with you, Julie.” Luke rushes to tell her, thinking back to the _hell_ this last month was without the one girl that made him feel like he could play a thousand gigs without losing the fire in his eyes if she was in the crowd.

His tone was entirely serious, even if a small smile was growing across his lips. She could feel it too, the reality of their reunion settling in. “I was still gonna come to see you if I didn’t have a day off. You mean too much to me, and how could I _not_ congratulate you for being our best cover of Bright?” 

Julie’s face twists, and he thinks she must be joking if she didn’t know how talented she was and how she would forget that she blew up overnight.   
  


“Your best?” She gasps, leaning in closer as her eyes flicker to his lips back to his adoring gaze. _Oh_. “Impossible.”   
  


  
Will there ever be a time where he doesn’t feel breathless before pressing his lips against hers? He hoped not. He would rather kiss her forever than pull away because he can’t breathe.   
  


Luke’s hand inches down to rest against the hollow of her neck, warmth spreading all over him. He’s stuck watching her every move when he finally says, “You’re the brightest star in my eyes, Julie Molina. Never forget that.”   
  


She knows they were standing outside of her cafe, on the sidewalk where people could just walk by and ruin their perfect moment, but she feels like her whole world is right in front of her.   
  


Julie holds her breath, feeling like her heart was stuck in her throat with a sudden surge of emotion. She has never felt like this. Luke has never felt like this before. They realize their love could be something great in that moment where their lips meet, and especially when they pull away—it feels _real_. The feeling of butterflies hasn’t faded—because it could only be described like the start of something new.

“Do you want me to take you home?” He whispered as the sunset behind them. He was still so close that she could feel his short breaths against her lips, “I don’t mind.”   
  


  
Julie nods, brave enough to grab his arm and press her mouth against his knuckles as a gentle gesture.   
  


“It’s a bit early to meet my family, don’t you think?”   
  


She wouldn’t have a problem with it, but she didn’t know what time her dad would be home and she didn’t want to worry her _boyfriend_ over meeting her dad yet. (She loved how it sounded when she thought of Luke as her boyfriend.) 

“I’ll drop you off,” Luke grinned, interlocking their fingers together. She nods eagerly and checks the door one more time, making sure it was locked. “Think of it as a thank you for the cookies.”   
  


They walk down the street to his car, talking quietly as the sidewalks gets more busy. 

* * *

When Luke pulls up in front of her house, Julie leans over to kiss him on the cheek as a thank you. He had been mindlessly tangling his fingers in the ends of her curls with every red light, especially when she would play with the radio and make him laugh.   
  


“Tell me what you guys think of the cookies,” She makes him promise. “I’ll have to know what to make when I see them again, and in order to do that, I need to know your three favorites.”   
  


Luke feels like he can’t speak, wondering how in the world he got this lucky to have Julie in his life. She would go through all of this work and put into consideration how important his friends were to him, just because she wanted to. How was this girl even real?   
  


* * *

* * *

**2.**

Ray Molina was a sweet guy. He cared for his family, Luke could see that obviously, and would do anything to protect them. He expected more protectiveness of his daughter, but as they sat across each other at the dinner table talking about their taste of music, Luke didn’t feel an ounce of worry. 

  
  


It seemed to wash away as soon as the older man brought him close to give him a hug. 

  
  


Now they were eating chicken and rice together with Julie’s aunt Victoria as conversational support, and he even began to grow more comfortable trying out the little bit of spanish he remembered from high school. It opened the door for Ray to get up when he was done with his dinner, and prop his stereo lid in the corner of the living room and play an album. 

  
  


Julie’s fork makes a cling sound when she sets it down after finishing her plate a minute later, leaning into her boyfriend’s space while taking his hands as the room fills with latin music. 

  
  


“It’s bachata,” She whispers to him, “A family favorite genre.” 

  
  


“Really now?” He prompts, smiling so hard that his cheeks ache. 

  
  


There she goes again—looking at him like the world was only the two of them in a room full of people. She looked at him like he hung the moon, and he wondered if he looked at Julie the same way. 

  
  


It was enough to make his heart flutter. 

  
  


“I could teach you,” Julie teased, her hands settling on her lap as she smoothed out her red skirt. She had her hair braided, and although she looked beautiful as always, he wished it was down so he could twirl a few curls around his finger. She was getting shy, in the way she hid her face and smile from him. “My mom taught me when I was small.” 

  
  


“My sister taught her well.” Victoria added on, smile full of pride. 

  
  


“Once everyone finishes up, we could move the table for a dance party.” Ray looks around the table, clapping his hands. “I think it’ll be a fun way to end the night.” 

  
  


Luke nods, still clutching Julie’s hand. He trusts her to lead him through this. 

  
  


He didn’t want to leave her hanging for an answer after being interrupted by her aunt, so once the music slows, he lets his thumb circle the back of her hand as he leans into her space like she had done before. 

  
  


“You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Jules.” 

  
  


Her smile beams as she stops humming the melody of the song under her breath, and he wishes he could just kiss her right now. 

  
  


“Bring it on.” She whispered, just as he shoveled the last bit of food on his plate into his mouth. 

* * *   
  


(He figures it out later. Why Ray took him in so easily when he walked through the door. It was the soft touches between them at dinner, the looks of adoration that he knew he was giving Julie the entire night, and the trust that Julie has in him. Ray didn’t need to love him right now. He trusted him because Julie trusted him. Ray accepted him because Julie loves him. 

  
  


That’s the level of trust that Luke is honored to have. 

  
  


It’s the reason why he laughs loudly at Julie’s instructions while learning bachata earlier, and why he purposefully stumbled just so she could step on his feet. It was worth it to hear Ray chuckle while he danced all over the room, and Carlos’s sibling banter as he bashed Julie as he danced with his Tía. 

  
  


When he sneaks in a few forehead kisses with his hands on her hips in the middle of her living room, that was when the night began to feel like a perfect ending to a movie that he never wanted to end.) 

  
  
* * *  
  


“Did you have fun tonight?” Julie mumbled against his chest as the night came to a close. Her white t-shirt was untucked from her skirt, a sign that she knew she didn’t need to look presentable anymore. 

He only needed to ask once to let her hair down, and she giggled softly in response before he had the chance to pout like a lost puppy. They were sitting on a swing bench on her front porch, waiting for the right moment to say goodbye. 

  
  


He gently runs his finger along the crown of her forehead, sighing when she cuddles more into his side. 

  
  


“I had a great night.” Luke tells her honestly, hoping he could hear the sincerity in his soft voice. “I think your dad likes me, so I’m happy.” 

  
  


“My tía loves you,” Julie smiled, and he could feel her grin widen against his chest. “She loves your whole rocker vibe, reminds her of the boys she used to date in high school.” 

  
  


It’s quiet for a second, then she picks her head up and searches for his gaze—“I’m happy with you. I want you to know that.” 

  
  


Luke felt his pulse quicken, his heartbeat in his fingertips as he circles her cheek with his finger. He knows he’s staring too long and he should probably give her an answer, but he didn’t realize how much he wanted to hear that until it rendered him speechless. 

  
  


He nods, “I’m happy with you too, Julie. You know I am.” 

  
  


“Good.” Julie says hesitantly, but he could tell there was something holding her back. His hand pulls back from her face, prepared to ask what has happened, but she beats him to it—she sits up fully now, pulling away from his hold completely. “I know this has been really great so far, what you and I have. I don’t wanna ruin it, and I don’t think this will….” 

  
  


“Jules?” Luke asks in concern when she pauses. 

  
  


“Where’s your phone?” She holds her hand out, grin returning as she’s looking at him. 

“Should I be scared—“ 

“ _Luke_.” 

“Where are you going with this?” Luke laughed, shifting his weight to one side so he could reach for his phone in his back pocket. 

  
  


“I’m leaving it up to you,” Julie begins, reaching for the phone and then taking his hand. He’s concerned, but he doesn’t question anything. She shuffled closer to him again, her head against his shoulder. She exhaled, “If you want to tell the fans about us then you can. I never wanted to stop you but you never asked, and I always knew you wanted to wait for my okay. So it’s okay now, Luke.” 

  
  


Luke inhaled sharply, her statement catching him off guard. 

  
  


All he could do was squeeze her hand, and lean his head against hers. 

  
  


He looks down, and sees her opening up his twitter app. A swell of happiness filling him inside as he thinks about everything that Julie is, how amazing she was and how it had only been a month of them dating and he couldn’t see himself with anyone else. 

  
  


“You want the world to know that you’re my girlfriend, huh?” Luke teased joyfully, reaching for his phone back in a lazy attempt. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was hoping for this day soon. He couldn’t be able to count how many times he wanted to let the world know how she makes him feel. 

  
  


Julie hands him his phone back, “It’s more like, ‘ _I’m really happy with my boyfriend and if he wants to talk about me then he should_ ’” She uses air quotes to emphasize, and it was the push he needed to turn and tilt her head up to kiss her. Her hands reach for his shoulders, as his hand stays in her neck. 

  
  


He doesn’t let it last long, feeling slightly nervous of Ray wandering outside to see what had taken them so long to say goodbye to the other. 

  
  


She quickly pecks him on the lips before he pulls away completely, blushing and warm under his touch. 

  
  


“There’s a catch.” Julie admitted. 

  
  


“I knew there would be.” Luke wasn’t lying, rolling his shoulders back as he laid back down. She follows his lead, tucking herself under his arm. 

  
  


“I’m gonna tell you what to write.” 

* * *

* * *

**3.**

Luke had planned it out perfectly. He had only lied for good reason. It was Valentine’s Day, and all he wanted to do was make Julie feel special. He was going to pick Julie up from her shift at the cafe, then claim to bring her back to her house to get ready for a dinner reservation. 

  
  


Of course, it was false. 

  
  


Because if he knew his girlfriend, he knew that she would much rather spend the night with him in a private setting and not bother about how she looked. If he was honest, he didn’t like fancy dinners anyways either. 

  
  


It was his first Valentine’s Day with Julie, and he was going to do it their way. She had texted him thirty minutes before her shift ended, sending him a goofy photo of her biting into a cookie, festive in her red long sleeve and black jeans. 

  
  
  


He smiled, thanking his best friend Alex when he walks out the studio door—the blonde would be putting away the instruments and lighting up the candles around the room—and holds the bouquet of red roses to his chest as he walks to his car. 

  
  


“You’re the best!” Luke calls out to Alex one last time, biting his lip out of nerves. His friend waves him off with a smirk, waving him off with a few pillows tucked under his arm. 

  
  


* * * 

“Hey babe, I’m coming to get you.” Luke says into his phone, bringing it up to his ear at a red light. Julie sounded excited over the line, and it made him feel giddy. “I can’t talk much, but wait for me outside.” 

  
  


When he makes it down Sunset and pulls up in front of the cafe, he straightens out his black button up and swallows down any nerves left in the back of his throat. 

  
  


He shouldn’t be nervous. He didn’t need to worry about any fans jeopardizing this night because after his tweet a few days ago, the fans took the news so well that they were trending the next morning. Phantom took the news the best, tagging the both of them in a post to try and explain their story: **“ _It started when @jmolina posted her cover of Sunset Curve’s Bright, and now her love story with @lpatterson begins. How did this happen?”_**

  
  


Luke didn’t know how it happened either. 

  
  


He didn’t know how he got so lucky. 

  
  


Ruffling his fingers through his hair, he grabs the bouquet and exits his car. He could see the lights on from the outside, then he noticed a head of fluffy curls and he exhaled. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he grinned widely at the sight of Julie wrapping a jacket around her as she turned off the lights. 

  
  


He waits right outside the front door, waiting for their eyes to lock—waiting for the moment that she would find his gaze and get so excited to see him that all of his worries would go away—and he thanks his lucky stars that he didn’t need to wait any longer. 

  
  


Julie’s face lights up, picking up her pace as she jogs towards the front door while fixing her purse across her shoulders. She pushes the door open, not bothering to lock it yet, eager to run into his arms. 

  
  


She throws herself at him, arms locking around his neck with the force of their embrace. She laughs when he gasps, luckily saving the flowers in his hands when he hugs her back tightly. She yelps in his ear, “Happy Valentine’s Day!” Pulling back suddenly, eyes sparkling under the moonlight as she looks down at the flowers in hands. 

  
  


“Are those for me?” 

  
  
“Who else would I give them to today?” 

  
  


She pecks him on the cheek, “Fair point.” 

  
  


Luke was finally with the girl he’s been thinking about all day, and she looked happy with just standing on a sidewalk talking with him. He hummed under his breath when he feels her fingers play with the ends of his hair, neither of them wanting to pull back. 

  
  


He felt so much for Julie, and it would never be a surprise with how much she seemed to appreciate him too. 

  
  


“Happy Valentine’s, Jules.” He finally tells her, lifting his hand that felt the bouquet and extending holding it out in front of him. She gripped his elbow, gasping at how pretty the roses looked. “I hope you like them.” 

  
  
  


Julie grabs them carefully, gaze stuck on the deep red of the petals for a second longer before she looks back up at him in a fit of awe. She holds the flowers to her chest as a sign to cherish them, and then rocks forward to press her lips sweetly against his. 

  
  


“I missed you.” She confessed. 

  
  
  


It had been a few days since the dinner at her house and they hadn’t been able to see each other since. He had been stuck at the studio preparing for an upcoming single coming out in two months, and Phantom had begun preparing a small tour in celebration for their album. 

  
  


“You have me now,” Luke swore before leaning down to kiss her again. “And I have a few surprises for you.” 

  
* * *

In the end, her reaction was his favorite. He had her blindfolded as she walked into the studio, an extra bandana that he had in his car, him guiding her as she navigated around the space. It was a big room regardless of instruments, and he would have to thank Alex for putting everything away like he asked. 

  
  


Julie figured out that he wasn’t taking her home to change when they passed her street, which led to another twenty minutes of avoiding the urge to give into her pleas. His girlfriend was patient sometimes, and today wasn't one of those days. 

There were candles lit around the back wall of the room, a single table sitting in the middle where Alex’s drum set would normally be. A pink drape hung across the ceiling, the corner stacked with pillows and blankets for cuddling later along with Luke’s spare laptop. The table had two opposite chairs, one on each side, but he was sure that Julie wouldn’t let him sit so far away. 

  
  


“Oh my god, this is beautiful.” Julie held the blindfold in her hands, Luke trailing behind as she walked down the steps and walked around the space. “You did this for me?” She turned to face him, “it’s exactly what I would’ve wanted.” 

  
  


She sets her purse and bouquet down on the dining table, picking at the glass cups, soda and arrays of sweets displayed in front of her. 

  
  


“Are we gonna eat cookies the entire night?” She teased. 

  
  


He walks around the table, her face lit by the glow of the candles around them, and pulls her close. He kisses the side of her head, “I know how much you love your aunt’s cooking, so I asked her to make some of your favorites. It’s been heating up in the kitchen ever since we got here.” 

Luke rocks them back and forth, arms tightening around her waist. 

She melts into him, “You’re amazing.” 

  
  


For once he didn’t argue. He took the compliment because he had someone who made him feel good about himself. Who made him feel invincible. 

  
  


* * * 

“I told Alex to put everything away for a reason!” 

  
  


“You know I love to watch you play, Luke.” 

  
  


“Are you sure? I don’t mind another movie.” 

  
  


“Get your guitar, babe.” Julie ushered him up and towards the large closet in the front of the room. She propped up the pillows that were dented in their position and sat up, “I wanna sing.” 

  
  


“Electric or acoustic?” 

  
  


“Which one sounds better for Perfect Harmony?”

  
  


Luke emerges with his acoustic, and a smile that makes her heart leap in her chest. They sing the song together, to each other, with her head leaning against his shoulder and soft voices that barely fill the room. 

  
  


They didn’t need the world to listen. 

  
  


They just wanted to listen to the words being spoken from their hearts. If the lyrics trailed off at the very end because they were dozing off in each other’s eyes and inching closer and closer until Luke strung the last chord to set his guitar down….then nobody needed to know the reason why. 

  
  


* * *

* * *

**_4._ **

  
  


“They just finished the encore, _oh my god_ Flynn—“ 

  
  


“He’s your boyfriend, why are you freaking out exactly?” 

  
  


Julie fixed her hair in Luke’s dressing room mirror and began pushing her best friend out of the room, eyes widening to the sound of the crowd slowly dying out into an echo. “I haven’t seen him in two months, maybe that’s why?” 

  
  


Flynn laughs, but soon grows serious when the cheers begin at the very end of the hallway. The boys were walking off stage now, and Julie was trying not to sweat out of nerves. This would be the first show she surprised Luke at, and their last tour date, and she couldn’t mess this up with an awkward fail of a reunion so she needed her friend gone. 

  
  


“We’ll meet up with you at catering after, I promise” She rushes Flynn out, and closes the door quickly. 

  
  


Julie runs her hands down the front of her Guns’N’Roses cut up t-shirt (that only maybe belonged to Luke once upon a time) and shakes her nerves out. Reaching up to take her hair out of her ponytail, she lets it fall on her shoulders with ease. She could hear the cheers get closer, and then she could hear Alex say something along the lines of “ _Dude, you’re disgusting get away from me_ ” and Reggie’s loud chuckle. 

  
  
  


Was Luke with them? 

  
  


She looked around his dressing room, eyeing the couch or the small closet to hide in to surprise him, but the minute she heard him….his chuckle and voice ringing in her ears as he yelled, “ _We did amazing, boys!_ ”....and she knew she couldn’t hide from him. Not when they were so close to being together again. 

  
  


The last two months had been manageable, both of them knowing what they would be getting themselves into...but it didn’t stop the nights of missing him and wishing she didn’t enroll in that music class at her local university to take up her time. 

  
  


She loved the class, don’t get wrong, and she was grateful for the guidance and collaboration when the band was gone...but she missed making music with Luke. The only times she would be able to talk to him would be after her shifts at the cafe and in between classes when he would be doing soundcheck with the boys. 

  
  


Julie was still standing in the middle of the room when the doorknob rattled, stuck as her anxiety was building. 

  
  


She had avoided his texts all afternoon, knowing she would most likely spill the surprise if Flynn didn’t take her phone for the entire flight to New York. They couldn’t risk the fans finding out and connecting the dots. 

  
  


“I’ll see you!“ Luke spoke over his shoulder, distracted with having just handed over his in-ear mics to a crew member. (Julie had met the team while they were doing the show, and she recognized the girl as someone named Brianna who snuck a smile at her before walking past him.) Julie felt her mouth go dry at the sight of him after so long, and she planted her feet on the ground to keep herself steady. She didn’t want to hide from him, so she stayed in the middle of the room waiting for him to notice her. 

  
  


Luke doesn’t even open the door halfway before he lifts his head up, the hand that was just clenched in the collar of his t-shirt to wipe at his neck had let go of its grip when he saw her. His eyes widen, and he pushes the door open further. 

  
  


“Julie?” He said her name hesitantly, wondering if this was actually happening. She covers her mouth, trying to hold back her tears at the look of pure joy that spreads across her boyfriend's face, and waits for it to register for him. 

  
  


“Hey, what’s up—“ She tried to act as calm possible, setting her hands on her hips. 

  
  


She doesn’t get to finish her sentence, as Luke runs towards her and picks her up in his arms. He’s sweaty and full of adrenaline and although she would mind touching him before a shower in other circumstances, she didn’t even think twice before wrapping her arms around his neck and letting out a squeal at the notion of him twirling her in a circle. 

  
  


He sets her down after a few spins, making sure to keep her close when her feet touch the ground. Julie takes a moment to take him in, looking down at his show attire—a short sleeve band t-shirt and his staple pair of black jeans with a silver wallet chain—and feels like she could cry if she wasn’t so shocked. 

  
  


“You’re actually here?” Luke asks, cupping her face in his hands and looking at her wildly. “I’m not dreaming right?” 

  
  


“I hope not.” She said, smiling. “It would be pretty cruel for the world to play a trick like this after two months.” 

  
  


He stares at her for a second, licking his lips as his gaze flickers to her mouth. 

  
  


“Two months?” He says breathlessly, caressing her cheek, catching her off guard when he surges forward to kiss her. It’s a slow kiss, one that makes her feel like she’s floating as her hands settle on his shoulders to pull her up just a bit. He pulls back, still having more to say. “I missed you, Jules. More than anything.” 

  
  


In that moment, she knew the late night phone calls were worth it. The sleepless nights where she wished she would be with him on tour, where she longed to be in his arms at night, they were all worth it now. 

  
  


She rests her forehead against his, one of her hands finding the hand on her waist and interlocking their fingers in a tight hold. 

  
  


“You did great, rock star.” Julie told him, grinning. 

  
  


The nickname makes him laugh, but it soon grows into something softer. He bites his bottom lip to prevent the smile from taking over, and he takes her hand in appreciation. 

  
  


Luke looks down at her outfit, finally giving himself the chance to do so, and she already knows what he’s going to say. 

  
  


“You’re wearing my shirt.” 

  
  


“I took it after Valentine’s Day,” Julie reminded him when he led her to the couch, pulling her next to him to sit down for a minute. “It was the first time I stayed over at your place, so it’s special.” 

  
  


Julie felt his hand inch into her scalp, massaging the back of her head while she leaned against him—and she propped one of her legs to rest on his knee to be as close to him as they could be. 

  
  


“I’m not gonna get it back, aren’t I?” 

  
  


“Nope.” She said. “It’s mine now.” She whispered, raising her head up to peck his cheek sweetly. 

  
  


Instead of pushing her away, Luke hums in slight disagreement and takes quick notice of how she freezes when the hand on the back of her neck softly presses her forward to stay where she is. “I’m fine with that, and you wanna know? You could have anything you want from me, Jules.” 

  
  


Her hand moves from resting on the back cushion of the couch when he says that, fingers having a mind of their own when they reach for his bicep as she turns her body sideways to face him. Julie always knew he had a way with words, but every time he said something romantic made her heart want to explode in her chest. 

  
  


Julie raises her head because she didn’t know what to say to him yet, just as Luke gets the message and kisses her again. 

  
  
  
* * * 

Julie helps him pack his personal luggage when they get back to his hotel room, the smile never leaving his face; both of them stuffed from eating a celebratory dinner with the crew and band. They were happy to be with each other finally, and even if they had an early flight to go back home to California the next morning, their moods couldn't be ruined. 

She closed up his suitcase while he was in the bathroom changing, setting it on the floor next to her backpack. She had changed a few minutes ago into her pajamas, hair tied back in a bun, smiling to herself when she reached for her phone on the desk. 

  
  


The room was dimly lit, the only lights coming from the lamps on the night tables, when she opened her home screen to send a quick text to Flynn and her dad to say goodnight. Flynn had been staying with Reggie in a room down the hall, so she would be okay for the night. 

  
  


Julie feels a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind when she sets her phone down, and she couldn’t help but sink into Luke’s embrace when his head rests on her shoulder. His hair was dry from his shower earlier, his curls tickling her neck. 

  
  


She holds his hands in place, mumbling a soft “Hey.” 

  
  


“Are you ready for bed?” 

  
  


She nods, feeling him press his lips against her shoulder and pulling away to take her hand. 

  
  


“I still can’t believe you’re here with me.” It was the last thing he said before closing his eyes, exhaustion of the last few months finally catching up to him. Luke had her cuddled into his side, an arm sling across his chest. “I love you.” 

  
  


Her heart swelled at those words because how could it not? Julie was the happiest she had been in two months. She would never get tired of hearing those words, she hoped she would get to hear them everyday for the rest of her life. 

  
  


She nuzzled into him further, perfectly content with using his sweatshirt as a pillow. Her eyes are heavy and fluttering shut to the feeling of Luke’s soft breathing against her cheek, but she doesn’t fall asleep until she whispers back, “Love you too.” 

  
  


It didn’t matter if he didn’t hear her then, she didn’t mind telling the stars how she felt about this boy that she happened to get so lucky with. 

  
  


* * *

* * *

**5.**

  
  


Julie didn’t know what she was doing. She was determined with a plan, but she had no clue how to execute what she had in mind. She had told the boys earlier, making sure to create a separate group chat with Reggie and Alex to keep Luke out of it, and ever since Flynn had become Sunset Curve’s unofficial social media manager—she was one they entrusted her with the job to reach out to fans without Luke knowing. 

  
  


Reggie had been so excited that he even promised to help Flynn reach out to their most dedicated fans in the area, and in his own words: “ _I promise this is the actual Reggie, would you like me to sing for you? I don’t have my bass.”,_ so she figured he would be a big help in getting people together. 

  
  


Alex was also having trouble deciding what to get his best friend for his twenty first birthday, so Julie knew it would be perfect. She gave him the job in talking with the band's merchandise people, just to make sure they would be set for Friday. 

  
  


Staring at her friends huddled into one of the booths in the back of her cafe, Julie remembered what she told him a long time ago. 

  
  


_If your heart isn't in the music you're making then it's worthless. It won't mean anything."_

  
  


Luke was passionate about his music and his family. 

  
  


She knew without a doubt that he would want to spend the day with his best friends and girlfriend, they were apart of his heart and soul at this point. 

  
  


But, she also knew something else. 

  
  


She knew that he had worked so hard to be appreciated and valued in this industry, and nothing makes him happier than being on stage. The fans are also a part of him, a part of his heart, and Julie wanted to give him both. 

  
  


Her Tía was generous enough in closing down shop for Friday, so the boys could have time to set up a small set on the stage in the back of the cafe. They were planning a meet up with fans in the afternoon to celebrate Luke’s birthday, and Julie couldn’t lie, she was nervous. 

  
  


Would he love it? Would he hate it? (She knew it was impossible for him to hate anything that she does for him, but she wanted him to have the best night possible. He deserved it.) 

  
  
* * *   
  
  


Julie keeps him busy for the morning, taking him out for breakfast and letting him open a few presents that she got him while she finished getting ready for the day. She got him a new guitar strap to change the one that was getting old on his electric, with a pink dahlia stitched on the top of the strap where it would meet his shoulder. It was something she wanted to give him in private, giving the story of how she always wanted to be with him when he was on stage. (His reaction was something she didn’t expect, because when she thought she would get a few words of appreciation….he just clutched the gift bag to his chest and cupped her face to bring her in for a harsh kiss.) 

  
  


(And she didn’t complain about that. How could she?) 

  
  


Flynn kept her updated with things happening at the cafe, sending her pictures of the set. Somehow, the boy's instruments didn’t take up too much space and she knew Luke would love the intimate setting. She smiled to herself as Luke window shopped with their hands interlocked; having promised that they’d walk around the mall until he found something he liked. A few hours later, they end up with bags of some new clothes and a receipt for a new acoustic guitar to be picked up later. 

  
  
  


Julie knew it was time when Flynn sent the text she had been waiting for all afternoon. She had been sitting down with Luke eating and sharing a pretzel when her phone buzzed in her pocket. 

  
  
  


**_Do you think you could get here in twenty? The cake just got here._ **

  
  
  


She could feel butterflies in her stomach as she hid her phone from him and took her hand away from his grasp. 

  
  


**_Everyone’s there?_ **

  
  


**_And super excited._ **

  
  
  


**“** What’s the matter?” Luke must’ve seen her growing grin and got suspicious, because he was leaning in to peer over her hovering fingers. 

  
  


“Nothing.” She shook her head and put her phone away. She smiled, hoping to put him at ease. “It’s just Flynn wondering where we are.” 

  
  


“She knows I’m always with you, and it’s my birthday—“ 

  
  


“Exactly.” Julie cut him off, standing and grabbing his shopping bags from the floor. She held out her hand, “Why don’t we get out of here and see what else I planned for you?” 

  
  
  


Luke chuckles, taking her hand again. “You know I love surprises, so lead the way Jules.” 

  
  


* * * 

  
  


“Do you trust me?” 

  
  


“Of course,” Luke argued. “But I think I have a right to know why you’re blindfolding me when walking down the street. I can't have my girlfriend getting arrested on my birthday for suspicious activity.” 

  
  


Julie smiled even though he couldn’t see, “Keep your eyes closed while I knock.” She knew he would listen but it was a warning. She knocked against the glass door to the cafe to alert Alex who had already seen them walk up, and she takes a deep breath when he opens the door. 

  
  


The chime gave it away immediately. 

  
  


“We’re at the cafe?” Luke asked, extending his arms out to guide his path when Julie puts his hands back on his face to cover his eyes. “I’ve been here dozens of times Julie—“ 

  
  
  


“You never shut up do you?” Alex stopped in front of him, holding back a laugh. 

  
  


“Alex?” Luke questioned, the door closing behind him. 

  
  


Julie looked around at the dozens of fans they were able to fit in the cafe, and mouthed at them to duck and get behind whatever they could to surprise him. She was glad they were comfortable around being their favorite band, sighing in relief when they barely made a sound as they moved around the space. Flynn and Reggie were in the corner near the kitchen, recording the entire thing on her phone. 

  
  


She could feel her lips beginning to tremble with tears, knowing this many people cared about Luke and who were willing to help her do this for her. 

  
  


“Julie?” Luke questioned, almost jumping in anticipation of what awaited him. As a last minute decision, she turned him around to face her and steadied her breathing to be able to talk to him. “Don’t open them yet. I just want you to know that I didn’t do this alone, and that you have people that really care for you in this room to celebrate you.” 

  
  


She holds onto his shoulders, feeling the nerves wash away when she looks around a second time. Everyone was smiling, some were crying, and his bandmates were grinning from ear to ear. 

  
  


“Happy birthday, Luke.” Julie whispers to him, and then begins a countdown. She shouts “You could open your eyes in 1, 2, _3_!” 

  
  
  


It takes him a second to get used to the light, "You're kidding right? _Oh my god._ " facing the crowd as he looks around at the decorations and the cake in the middle of the room. He sees the table in the corner with Sunset Curve merchandise and then he gazes over each fan—most that he recognizes from their Meet and greets on tour— waving eagerly at them and feeling his hands begin to shake. 

  
  


Luke pulls Alex into a hug, and almost screams in excitement when he sees the instruments set up in the back. 

  
  


“We’re gonna play?” He asked as he pulled back. 

  
  
“Julie thought it would be a treat for the fans for coming tonight.” 

  
  


“They came for me?” 

  
  


He couldn’t believe it. 

  
  
  


Alex nodded, “The band wouldn’t be as successful as it is now if it wasn’t for you believing in us. Our fans would do anything for us, and it’s because of you.” 

  
  


Luke made a promise to himself to talk to each of the fans that came tonight for a few minutes each, and take as many photos as they want as a thank you for coming. He felt his throat tighten with emotion, and he smiled at Reggie who was making his way around the counter to say hello, but he had his mind stuck on one person. 

  
  


_Julie_. He spots her on the opposite side of the counter talking to Flynn, and he doesn’t hesitate in walking over and turning her around to hug her tightly. He would apologize later, but he needed to hold her right now. 

  
  
  


“This is the best thing that’s happened to me in so long.” He whispered in her ear, trying not to cry. She held onto him just as hard, feeling like she could be walking on the moon right now with how happy she feels over the success of the surprise. “You didn’t have to do anything for me, now I get to do what I love most on my birthday. I get to be with the _people_ I love most today and it’s because of you.” 

  
  


Julie pulls away, resting her head on his chest for as long as she could without giving into the pressure of pulling away while being in public. 

  
  


“Don’t thank me.” She tells him softly, her fingers playing with the button of his jean jacket. She would do anything for him. “I just wanna see you happy and I thought it would be nice to combine all the things you love today.” 

  
  


“I really wanna kiss you right now,” She laughed against his chest, but their moment got interrupted by the speakers turning on. When music fills the room, she pulls back and looks up at him. His eyes are sparkling and glossy from holding back tears. He smiles big, then nudges his head in the direction of the fans who were currently talking to Reggie near the snack table. “Can I introduce you to some fans? I remember most of them, and they would always ask me for you.” 

  
  


“I’m not the famous one.” She teased, but nodded her head to let him know it was okay to lead her towards them. 

  
  


He leans in to kiss her forehead, his touch delicate and soft so he could still reply to her: “Yeah but you’re the one person I never shut up about.” 

  
  


The sentiment makes her blush, and she ends up being the one to drag him along to make their way into the crowd near the instruments. Luke takes his time introducing her to fans, and takes less than five minutes for the party to kick in. 

* * *

  
  
Julie has five moments that turn into memories from the night.

  1. When Luke reached for her hand during the interlude between Bright and In Your Starlight—one of the songs she’s heard a million times but still unreleased to the public—while Alex gives a small speech about an embarrassing story of his best friend. The stage is leveled with the crowd, so he doesn’t have to bend down much, and neither of them miss the automatic “ _aweeeee look at them!_ ” from the girl standing next to her.
  2. When she’d catch him staring at her while she danced in the middle of the cafe to whatever song played on the speakers as he happily signed some shirts for fans and accepted any gifts they had for him. She would stick her tongue out at him from across the room, just to make him smile as he twirled the sharpie in his hands. 
  3. After they cut the cake, Julie took advantage of the flashing lights and cameras and stuck her finger in the cake to swipe frosting on his nose for good luck. He jumps back in surprise, and the room erupts in laughter. Reggie managed to swipe a glob of frosting on his cheek, and Luke puts his hands up to stop Alex from following suit. 
  4. Some fans asked her to teach them a few chords on the piano, and of course, she doesn’t say no. The music had been turned off as the night went on, knowing they only had an hour left until the party was over. It didn’t take long for the boys to join once her fingers hit the keys, and soon enough, Luke was watching her with his elbow perched and his head resting in his hands. (“ _She’s even better than I am, right?” It was worth it to see Julie hide her expression from him, while the fan that he learned to be Monica sat beside her and complimented her up just the same.)_
  5. The kiss that Luke finally snuck in at the end of the night when Flynn had left the cafe. It was finally quiet after an afternoon of blasting music and endless conversations, but she would do it a million times over for the feeling of joy she felt in that moment when their lips pressed together. 



* * *

* * *

  
**+1 - Julie**

  
  


The night had been long, and Luke’s feet were killing him hours after slipping off his dress shoes.

Julie was so tired that she needed his help unzipping her dress after getting home from the after party, and now she was asleep and snoring softly in his arms. He brought her back to the apartment with the boys, and he was sure that they had fallen asleep in the last hour since he heard nothing outside his door. 

  
  


Next to Julie’s dress hanging over his closet door, laid the two envelopes on his desk that made his years of wanting to make it in the industry worth it. 

  
  


_BEST ROCK SONG — ‘Bright’ : Sunset Curve_

  
  


_BEST NEW ARTIST - Sunset Curve_

  
  


He attended the Billboard Music Awards tonight. 

  
  


The band _won_ two awards for the first time. 

  
  


He already cried earlier on the phone to his parents after the band exited the stage, and he remembered that moment so clearly: Reggie had grabbed onto Alex to shake his shoulders, and Alex began to cry almost instantly as their names were called. They had interlocked hands, hoping for the news but in disbelief that it could happen so early in their career. Julie didn’t even care when the camera focused on them, grabbing Luke’s face and kissing him hard for a congratulations. 

  
  


It happened. _They won_. 

  
  


With Julie beside him, their legs intertwined and her endless compliments and praise throughout the night to her favorite group of guys….it made him want forever with her. He knew they had only been dating for a full year now, but he wanted her for the rest of his life. 

  
  


Luke goes to turn off his lamp beside him as his eyes get heavy with the urge to sleep, but he reaches for his phone instead. He opens up the twitter app and quickly scrolls through his thousands of messages, only to decide to tweet one more thing before he called it a night. He had been trying to figure out how to word what he wanted to say for hours, and it finally made sense to him. 

His exhales shakily, the emotions creeping back to him and he presses send before thinking twice. The likes and retweets were coming in at record speed and he didn't want to look at them yet. Luke rests his head on top of Julie’s curls, falling asleep with his lamp on because he’s too tired to turn the knob. 

  
  


If Julie wasn’t here to ground and hold him, he would feel like he’s floating on a cloud. 

  
  


* * *

  
  


Julie wakes up first, the events rushing back to her from last night was a blur in her head but enough to make her smile even when half asleep. 

  
  


Luke’s arms had been wrapped around her midsection, giving her enough space to wiggle and reach for her phone next to the pillow to check any notifications. He was still asleep when she dazed up at him, so she took some time to scroll through her notifications. 

  
  


One of the text messages came from Flynn. 

  
  


_**Please respond to your man before he puts the entire Internet into a frenzy of emotional breakdowns.** _

  
  


Then, Alex 

  
  


_**It’s sick how much he loves you, but please respond to him before I cry. Thank you and good morning :)** _

  
  


Reggie. 

  
  


_**We all love you!** _

  
  


Julie furrows her eyebrows in confusion and opens her twitter account, one that she hadn’t been active in ages and looks for Luke’s account. What could be so alarming that needs her attention right now? The internet shouldn’t be focusing on her, but the band. 

Then, she sees it. 

The tweet sent long after she fell asleep last night. 

  
  


**_I love you Julie Molina. I always have, and tonight has been such a dream with you by my side. I wouldn’t have finished Bright without you, and I’m so thankful for that experience bringing us together. I never wanna let you go._ **

  
  


Julie felt her eyes water as she reread the message over and over again. She felt the exact same way about him. 

  
  


She didn’t want to wake up, but she really wanted to do something, so she just leaned up to press her lips against the underside of his jaw gently and whisper a quick “I love you..” before opening her phone back up. 

Their story was only beginning and Julie couldn't wait to see what the future held. 


End file.
